Down Home Barbecued Tofu Recipes

"BARBECUED" TOFU

Steps:

• Cut tofu cake horizontally (slicing parallel to work surface) into 4 rectangles and press.
• Cover the bottom of a small pan with half of barbecue sauce. One by one, rub both sides of each tofu rectangle with chile powder; place in a single layer on sauce. Top with remaining sauce. Let stand for 30 minutes.
• Preheat broiler with rack 6 inches from heat. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil; place a baking rack on top. Spray rack with cooking spray. Take tofu slabs out of the barbecue sauce and place on rack with space between pieces. Reserve leftover barbecue sauce. Broil until top of tofu is browned and bubbly, about 5 minutes.
• Turn tofu over and brush with reserved sauce. Broil until browned and bubbly, about 5 more minutes. Serve hot or at room temperature, on bread with coleslaw if desired.

CRISPY BARBEQUED TOFU SLICES

Steps:

• Drain tofu, and slice into strips. Place in a plastic bag or container, and freeze overnight. This will give the tofu a meatier texture. Thaw tofu strips, and blot with paper towels to dry.
• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg white and 1 tablespoon of barbeque sauce. Combine the flour, salt, and pepper in a separate bowl. Dip the tofu slices into the egg mixture, then into the flour mixture, shaking off excess flour. Fry in the hot oil for about 1 minute on each side, until golden brown. Just fry enough at one time so they are not crowded. Remove from the oil to paper towels to drain and cool.
• Preheat the oven's broiler. Brush tofu slices with additional barbeque sauce, and allow to marinate while the broiler heats up. Arrange them on a broiler pan, or wire rack set over a cookie sheet for best results.
• Position the oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source. Broil for 5 minutes on each side, or until browned and crisp, watching closely so as not to burn them. Serve warm with the remaining barbeque sauce for dipping.

PERFECT GRILLED TOFU

Steps:

• Wrap tofu in a clean dish towel and weight it with something heavy such as a large can; leave it to drain for 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, mix together remaining ingredients in a bowl.
• Cut each piece of tofu crosswise into 6 thick slices and put it all in a baking dish. Pour marinade over tofu, turning to coat, and chill, covered, turning occasionally, at least 30 minutes or up to 48 hours. Longer is better, but shorter is totally fine.
• Preheat a gas grill on high heat (450 degrees F to 650 degrees F) 10 minutes, then reduce heat to medium (325 degrees F to 375 degrees F)--or do whatever the equivalent is if you're using charcoal. Oil grate.
• Transfer tofu from marinade (letting excess drip off and reserving marinade) to grill with a spatula. Cover grill and cook tofu, turning once, until well browned but before grill marks get black, 10 to 15 minutes total. Transfer tofu to a platter and cover with foil to keep warm.
• Bring reserved marinade to a boil in a saucepan and boil until it reduces to about 1 cup, about 2 minutes. Pour over tofu and serve hot, warm, or at room temperature.

DOWN HOME BARBECUED TOFU

Steps:

• Wrap the tofu in several layers of a clean, absorbent kitchen towel and set a l-pound bag of dried beans on top. Set the tofu aside until you are ready to slice it. Line a broiling pan or baking sheet with aluminum foil. Set aside. Place the oven rack about 5 inches from the broiling element, and turn on the broiler. In a pie plate or large, shallow bowl, prepare the barbecue sauce by blending together the remaining ingredients. Unwrap the tofu and set the block on a cutting board with the longer side facing you. Cut the block crosswise into 9 slices, each slightly less than 1/2-inch thick. Dip the slices into the sauce to coat both sides heavily. Arrange the slices on the broiling pan as you work. (Reserve any remaining sauce.) Broil the tofu until flecked with dark brown spots, 4 to 6 minutes. (If your broiler cooks unevenly, rotate the broiling pan halfway through.) Turn the tofu over with a spatula and slather any remaining sauce on the second side with a pastry brush or knife. Broil until deeply browned on the second side, 4 to 6 more minutes. Serve with the darker side up.
• Wrap the tofu in several layers of a clean, absorbent kitchen towel and set a l-pound bag of dried beans on top. Set the tofu aside until you are ready to slice it. Line a broiling pan or baking sheet with aluminum foil. Set aside. Place the oven rack about 5 inches from the broiling element, and turn on the broiler. In a pie plate or large, shallow bowl, prepare the barbecue sauce by blending together the remaining ingredients. Unwrap the tofu and set the block on a cutting board with the longer side facing you. Cut the block crosswise into 9 slices, each slightly less than 1/2-inch thick. Dip the slices into the sauce to coat both sides heavily. Arrange the slices on the broiling pan as you work. (Reserve any remaining sauce.) Broil the tofu until flecked with dark brown spots, 4 to 6 minutes. (If your broiler cooks unevenly, rotate the broiling pan halfway through.) Turn the tofu over with a spatula and slather any remaining sauce on the second side with a pastry brush or knife. Broil until deeply browned on the second side, 4 to 6 more minutes. Serve with the darker side up.

BARBECUE TOFU

Steps:

• Rinse and pat the tofu dry, then slice it horizontally into 5 long rectangular slabs. Wrap in a dishtowel and press GENTLY all over to remove excess moisture.
• Stack up the tofu slabs again and slice them in half diagonally so you now have 10 triangular slabs. NOTE: If you are planning to grill them, you may want to leave the tofu in rectangles and slice them in half last thing, so they'll be easier to flip on the barbecue.
• Mix all other ingredients together and pour into a 9-by-13 baking dish. Spread the tofu slabs in the dish and turn them carefully, using a basting brush to make sure all sides are coated with sauce.
• Let rest for 15 minutes. NOTE: If time permits, you can prepare this a few hours early (even the night before) and let it marinate for stronger flavor.
• Bake for 20 minutes at 350°F, turning halfway through.
• If grilling, it's basically the same as anything else, but you have to be more careful about burning tofu than meat! Just grill till it reaches your desired done-ness (my crazy family likes it burned), basting occasionally with leftover sauce.
• Serve with baked potatoes, fries, steamed/grilled veg, salad -- endless possibilities! Leftovers taste GREAT crumbled in a sandwich with a little mayonnaise (or vegan version :-)!